Chocolate Sauce Recipe For Pancakes

If you're looking to dress up your next stack of pancakes, look no further! This chocolate sauce for pancakes recipe will make everyone smile! Made with 5 simple ingredients and in just a few minutes, you can store this sweet sauce and reheat as needed.

Why I Love This Recipe

Calling all chocolate lovers! What's not to love about sweet chocolate sauce that can be drizzled over literally anything?! This chocolate sauce for pancakes is extra special, though, and here's why.

• It tastes like the most luxurious dark chocolate sauce on the planet (when it's really not).
• Even though this delicious chocolate sauce tastes like it's been made with good quality ingredients, it is really made with just a few common ingredients that are sitting in your kitchen as we speak. The chocolate flavors are indescribable!
• This easy chocolate sauce recipe is perfect for traditional pancakes, yes, but also so many other breakfast foods such as French toast, Swedish pancakes, oatmeal, monkey bread and muffins.
• I can drizzle it over super healthy oatmeal pancakes and my boys will devour every bite.
• No high fructose corn syrup included in this easy recipe!
• This homemade chocolate sauce recipe is ridiculously quick to make. It's done in minutes!
• It's the perfect sweet condiment for weekday breakfasts or special occasions.

Recipe Ingredients

Cocoa powder - Unsweetened cocoa powder works great for this recipe! For an extra dark chocolate vibe, use dark chocolate cocoa powder.

Granulated sugar - Cater the amount of sugar to your liking. For a sweeter sauce, increase the amount used in the recipe to 1 1/4 cups. For a less sweet sauce, use 1/2 cup.

Replace a portion of the white sugar with brown sugar in equal amounts for a deeper flavor.

Milk - Any variety of milk works great in this recipe. It's a forgivable one! Skim, 1%, 2%, whole milk or even oat milk or almond milk will work.

For an extra creamy hot fudge sauce, use heavy whipping cream in place of milk in equal amounts.

Butter - I love the extra salty flavor of salted butter, but unsalted butter works just as well!

Vanilla extract - Replace with any flavored extract that complements chocolate, such as rum extract, almond extract or caramel extract.

How to Make Chocolate Sauce for Pancakes

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, combine the cocoa, sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat on the stove top. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Step 2

Let cool to room temperature, then pour into jars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready for use.

Reheat for 20-30 seconds in the microwave when ready to use. Pour over pancakes!

Recipe Notes

• To make the sauce a little thinner, add water 1 tablespoon at a time and stir until desired consistency has been reached.
• Don't limit this recipe to just breakfast! Add a drizzle of chocolate sauce to your next mug of hot chocolate or drizzle it over a few scoops of vanilla ice cream.
• For a more chocolatey end result, replace regular milk with chocolate milk!
• Add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the mixture to give it a pumpkin/fall twist.
• Add a pinch of salt to the saucepan for an extra bite of saltiness.

How To Thicken Chocolate Sauce

Create a simple cornstarch slurry to add to chocolate sauce to make it thicker. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water (always use the 1:2 ratio). Mix them in a separate small bowl until free of lumps.

Add the mixture to a saucepan with the sauce and heat, stirring often, until creamy and thickened.

Can You Freeze Chocolate Sauce

Chocolate sauce can be frozen. Transfer it to a tightly sealed mason jar or airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 months for best results.

Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and heat over medium-low. Stir until creamy.

You may need to add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or milk to achieve your desired consistency.

Chocolate Sauce vs Syrup

Typically the main difference between chocolate syrup and chocolate sauce is that the sauce is thicker. Syrup is made with water (instead of milk and butter), so it has a much thinner consistency.

Chocolate sauce contains milk and butter, making it thick, buttery and luxurious and perfect for topping pancakes or French toast with (ice cream, too!).

Best Pancake Recipes

• Fluffy pancakes made with evaporated milk
• Single serving pancakes in a mug
• 3-ingredient oatmeal pancakes

Sweet Pancake Toppings

• Lemon curd
• Mulberry sauce or any type of berry compote or sauce
• Salted caramel sauce
• Nutella
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Fresh fruit
• Sprinkles
• Maple syrup
• Blueberry sauce